Machine for cutting shingles



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOYD WHITE, OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SHINGLES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,346, dated November 10, 1841.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Loro VHITE, ofJeifersonville, in the county of Clarke and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Machine for Making Shingles, and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawing marked Figure l, which makes a part of this specication.

A, A, are the two side pieces of the framework of the machine made tocorrespond to each other in every particular, each having two ears a, a,and b, to fasten them to a large hewn log or block B by means of boltspassing perpendicularly through the holes c, a, and horizontally7through the holes o, and each having likewise two similar grooves e, (Z,c, (Z, sunk in the inner surface, which grooves converge or approacheach other from the top toward the bottom, the machine standing in anupright position.

D and E are two plates or gates the sides of which fit and slide in thegrooves o, (Z, c, CZ. Each of these plates has two projections e, e, andf, f, to which the knives F and Gr are fastened, leaving a space betweenthem (the knives) equal to the thickness of the butt of a shingle whenin the position shown in the drawing at the beginning` of the stroke.

The front plate D has also two projecting parts g, g, to connect withthe cross-bar H, and which are made of sufiicient length to allow thenecessary movement of the bar H, without striking the top of the frameA, A.

I, I, are two shackle-bars to connect the crow-bar H with anothercross-bar J, J which latter bar is fastened to the back side of the backplate E, by which means the two plates D and El are connected togetherand made to preserve their relative positions in every part of theirmovement, the shacklebars gently vibrating on their axes as the platesslide on the grooves and approach or recede from each other.

K is a lever by which the machine is worked, the bar of the lever beingconnected with the middle of the cross-bar J, J, by a round pin passingthrough both, and moving at the fulcrum in a joint L, which itselfvibrates a little on the bolt which passes through the hole L, andconnects it with the block B.

M is a plate of soft metal fixed on the block B for one or both of theknives to cut against.

The mode of operation: The parts of the machine being in the positionsrepresented in the drawing, a block of wood suitable for making shinglesis placed on the metal plate M, with the back side against the plate Ethe lever is then pulled down, bringing the two plates with their knivesand all the movable parts along with it. Now as the plates slide ingrooves which approach each other or converge toward the bottom, theknives are also made to approach each other as they descend and thus thetaper of the shingle is formed at the same time that it is split fromthe block; or if a block or piece suitable for one shingle only is usedthe taper merely will be formed. At the end of the stroke one or both ofthe knives will rest on the plate M. IVhen the shingles are to be splitfrom the block and shaved at the same time it is thought best to havethe back knife G placed a little in advance of the other (which may bedone by adjusting the keys in the shackle-bars I, I), in which case atthe end of the stro-ke the knife F only will rest on the plate M, theknife Gr being' in part behind the block B together with the plate E towhich it is attached.

I am aware that shingle machines have been made with two knives soarranged as to approach each other in shaving the shingle from the buttto the point, but in such cases the block moves up toward the knives,which have no other motion than toward each other, while the taper isbeing formed, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as makingclaim to the employment of two knives that approach each other incutting from the butt toward the point; but

That I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the two plates or gates with the knives attached tothem and working in slides which approach each other toward the bottom,for the purpose and in the manner specified.

LGYD WHITE.

Witnesses ISAAC Cox, J osnr M. MCCONNAUGHEY.

